Gas and liquid pumping apparatus



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,903 l. C. -JENNINGS GAS AND LIQUID PUMPINGAPPARATUS Filed June 19, 1920 ATTORNEYS. I

Patented Feb. 27, 1923;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I IRVING C. JENNINGS, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 NASHENGI- NEERING COMPANY, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

GAS AND LIQUID PUMPING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVING C. JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States,and residing at South Norwalk, county of F airfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gasand Liquid Pumping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gas and liquid pumping apparatus adapted foruse wherever it is desired to simultaneously pump air or vapor and waterand particularly adapted to be used in connection with vacuum steamheating systems having direct returns for the water of condensation, to.remove the air and non-condensable gases from the piping to maintain apartial vacuum therein, and at the same time to remove the condensedsteam. In my copending application, Serial No. 174,953, filed June 15,1917, I describe and illustrate an apparatus of this character in whichthe return pipe of the heating system is connected to a receiver intowhich the returns of air and water are discharged, the water collectingin the bottom of the receiver and the air in the upper portion thereof.A pumping unit comprising a centrifugal water pump and a hydro-turbineair pump is provided, the "water pump being arranged to withdraw thewater from the bottom of ,the receiving tank and to discharge it into aboiler or hot well, and the air pump being arranged to withdraw air fromthe top of the tank and discharge it into the atmosphere. The pumpingunit is driven by an elec tric motor which is automatically started wheneither the pressure of the -air, or the volume of water-in the receiverisgreater than a predetemined amount, and automatically stopped whenthedesired con ditions in the tank have been obtained. A common defect ofapparatus of this character heretofore utilized is that air often leaksthrough the pumpliind into the piping of the heating system, when thepump is not operating, due to the fact that it is extremely difficult tokeep the packing of the pump air tight. This causes the pump to operatetoo frequently and'thereby shortens its life as well as increasing thecost of operation. Another defect of such prior pumping devices,especially of the type in which a reciprocating pump adapted to 1920.Serial No. 390,174.

handle both gas and air is employed, consists in the liability of thepump to become so flooded with liquid that it cannot readily free itselfwhen first started, which sometimes results in the pump being severelystrained.

The objects of the present invention are;

to provide means whereby leakage of air I from the pumping apparatusinto the piping system is prevented, thereby reducing the work requiredof the pump; to provide an automatic governor for the pumping unit whichis controlled in accordance with the pressure actually existing in thepiping system instead of in accordance with the pressure existing in thereceiver which, in my improved apparatus, may have a vacuum or partialvacuum therein or no vacuum receiver with a restricted neck of suchcross I sectional area that liquid cannot pass through the same to thereceiver faster than the centrifugal pump can exhaust it. I

Other advantages of the invention will drawing, in which the apparatusisillustrated partly in side elevation and partly in' section.

above the pump is a gas and liquid receiver or separating tank 12 andthe intake of each of the pumps of the pumping unit is conbe apparent asit is disclosed in the follow+ ing description and in the accompanyingnected to this tank, the pipe 13 serving to convey water from the tank12 to the water pump, and the pipe 14, connected to the: top of theseparating tank, serving to convey air or vapor from the tank to the airpump. A conduit '15 opening into the bottom of the tank communicateswith the casing which encloses thewater, pump and serves to conveypriming liquid to this pump.

Below the tank is disposed a pipe or conduit 16 which communicatesthrough a restricted neck 17 atone end having a strainer 18 into whichthe condensed liquid from the return pipes 19 and 20 flows, and theinner end of which communicates with the interior of the tank 12, theoutlet orifice of the conduitbeing disposed at a substantial distanceabove the bottom of the tank. Intermediate the tank and the restrictedneck 17 is a gravity operated non-return valve 21 which prevents theflow of liquid and gas from the tank back into the heating system. Itwill be noted that the inlet end of the priming conduit 15 is below theinlet end of the pipe 13 and it will also be seen that the outletorifice of' conduit 16 is a substantial distance above the'inlet openingof the conduit 15 so that primin fluid cannot be entirely withdrawn fromt e tank, even in case the non-return valve 21 should develop a. leak.

The lead wires 22 of the electric motor are connected to means 23through a manually operable knife switch 24 and through a pressurecontrolled automatic switch which comprises a main magnetically operatedswitch 25 and a diaphragm pressure relay switch 26. The switches 25 and26 are of well known type and'need not be specific-ally described, butit will be observed that the diaphragm relay switch 26 is actuated inaccordance with the pressure existing within the heating system, thediaphragm chamber of the switch being connected by means of a conduit 27with the return pipe 19. The diaphragm'relay switch 26 is adjusted toclose the circuit through the magnets of switch 25 when the pressure inthe pipe 19 has increased to a predetermined amount thereby causing theswitch 25 to close the main motor circuit, and to open the same when thepressure has decreased to a predetermined amount to thereby open themain motor circuit at switch 25 and cause the motor to stop. In order toprevent an excessively high vacuum being created in the tank 12 due toany failure of the automatic switches to stop the motor at the propertime a pressure release valve 28 is provided, of well known type. v7

The air withdrawn from the tank 12 is discharged through the" pipe 29,preferably into the atmosphere, and the water'withdrawn by the waterpump is preferably forced through a pipe 30 into the steam boiler of theheating plant, although it may to open to admit water of condensationfollowed by ir or vapor, into the tank through the conduit 16. Therestricted neck 17 prevents any inrush of fluid which might flood thetank 12 before the Water pump could dispose of it, to thereby causewater to be drawn by the air pump through the pipe 14 to fiood the airpump and destroy its effectiveness. As soon as the pressure in thesystem has been reduced to the proper p'redetermined amount theautomatic switch will operate to stop the'motor, all of the Water ofcondensation having by this time been removed. The pum will remaininactive "until the pressure 1n the system has again risen above thedesired amount when it will operate asbefore. The water sealednon-return valve 21 prevents leakage of 'water or air from the tank 12back into the heating system and it is therefore immaterial whether avacuum or partial vacuum is maintained in the separating tank or not. Infact, in some instances a small opening may be made in the tank throughwhich air may enter to destroy the vacuum therein when the pump isinactive.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pumping apparatus, in combination, a fluid pump, an outlet forsaid pump, and an inlet having a restricted portion of such size thatthe quantity of fluid passing therethrough in a given time cannot exceedthe capacity of the pump for the same time interval.

2. In a gas and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, a pumping unitfor pumping gas and liquid, and an inlet for said unit having arestricted portion of such size that the quantity of liquid passingtherethrough in a given time cannot exceed the capacity of the pump toexhaust the'same during the same time interval.

3. In a gas and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, a pumping unitcomprising a gas and a liquid exhausting pump, and an inlet for saidunit having a restricted portion of such size that the quantity ofliquid passing therethrough in a given time cannot exceed the capacityof the liquid exhausting pump to impel the same, during the same timeinterval.

4. Ina gas and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, a receiver forgas and liquid, a pumping unit comprising a gas and a liquid exhaustingpump each having its inlet connected to said receiver, an inlet for saidreceiver having a restricted portion of such size that the quantity ofliquid passing therethrough in a given time cannot exceed the capacityof the liquid exhausting pump to exhaust the same, during the same timeinterval.

In a gas and liquid pumping apparatus,

in combination, a receiver for gas and liquid which also constitutes aseparating tank, a pumping unit comprising a gas and a liquid exhaustingpump, an inlet for the gas exhausting pump having communication withsaid separating tank at the top thereof, an inlet for the liquidexhausting pump communicating with the separating tank near the bottomthereof, and an inlet forthe separating tank having a restricted portionof such size that the quantity of liquid passing therethrough in a giventime cannot exceed the capacity of the liquid exhausting pump to exhaustthe same, during the same time interval.

6. In a gas and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, a receiver forgas and liquid, means for creating a partial vacuum in the receiver. aninlet conduit for the receiver disposed below the receiver and enteringthe same through its bottom, and a non-return valve in said inletconduit normally sealed by water in the conduit on the tank side of thevalve.

7. In a gas and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, a receiver forgas and liquid. means for creating a partial vacuum in the receiver. aninlet conduit through which gas and liquid pass to the receiver, saidconduit being disposed with its outlet orifice below the normal level ofthe liquid in the tank. and a non-return valve in said conduit normallysealed by water in the conduit on the. tank side of the valve.

9. The combination with a conduit in which it is desired to maintain apartial vacuum. of a receptacle communicating with the conduit through apassage, having a relatively restricted portion and containing anon-return valve, an automatic means for exhausting the fluid contentsof said receptacle, said means comprising a pump connected to saidreceptacle, an electricmotor for operating the pump, and an automaticpressure controlled switch for controlling the motor circuit, saidswitch being automatically closed by an increase in pressure in theconduit beyond a predetermined amount and automatically opened when thepressure has been reduced to a predetermined amount.

9. In a gas'and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, an air exhaustunit, a con duit or receptacle, a pipe leading from the receptacle tothe air exhaust unit, the mouth of said pipe being above the bottom ofthe receptacle so that Water continually covers the bottom of thereceptacle, and the intake conduit for said receptacle opening throughthe bottom wall thereof and provided with a non-return valve which issealed by the Water in the bottom of the receptacle.

10. In a gas and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, a receiverfor gas and liquid, a pump arranged below said receiver for exhaustingfluid therefrom, a conduit for priming fluid connecting said pump andsaid receiver, and an inlet conduit for said receiver having its outletorifice disposed above the inlet to said priming fluid conduit, for thepurpose set forth.

l1. Ina gas and liquid pumping apparatus, in combination, a receivingtank for gas and liquid, a pump arranged below saidtank for exhaustingfluid therefrom, a conduit for priming fluid connecting said pump andsaid tank, an inlet conduit for said tank having its outlet orificedisposed above the inlet to the priming fluid conduit, and a conduit forconducting water to be pumped from the tank to the pump, said lastmentioned conduit having its inlet orifice above the inlet to thepriming fluid conduit, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

IRVING C. JENNINGS.

